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NEW DELHI: Minister for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan has rejected the steel ministry's charge that her department was delaying mining clearances that could potentially lead to law and order issues in forested tribal areas. "It is somewhat unusual and new, the argument that complying with environmental and forest regulations leads to an increase in extremism," Natarajan told ET.

The minister was reacting to a missive by Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma, pushing for quicker green clearances for Steel Authority of India's captive mines. The iron ore mines in question - Bolani in Odisha and Gua in Jharkhand - feed SAIL's units at Durgapur and Bokaro, and the IISCO plant at Burnpur.

"I am yet to receive Mr Verma's letter. But we have already cleared (last week) the Bolani forest permit...The matter of Gua mines, where there have been environment violations, is in the courts," Natarajan said.

In his letter dated November 30, Verma had sought Natarajan's personal intervention and warned that an extended closure of mines in forested tribal areas could lead to a deterioration of law and order situation.